"Wait, old man, what are you holding?" Tang's mother stopped Tang's father.
What Tang's father was holding in his hand was the New Year's goods that Su Qing sent to Tang Meilan.
Tang Meilan wanted to go back to Shuixiang Village to live for a while, so she gave most of her things to her father.
She told him to let Tang Shi bring some back when she returned to her parents' home on the second day of the New Year.
"Nothing." Tang's father hid the things behind him.
"I saw it all, take it out." Tang's mother said loudly.
She looked at the bags, jars and other things and they looked very familiar, very much like the Su family's things.
In the past, she also opened her share of the packages sent by the Su family.
For five or six years in a row, she would never admit her mistake.
"I said it was nothing, why don't you show me the things you bought?" Tang's father took the initiative and asked directly.
Tang's mother went to the department store with Bai Weiwei every few days, buying piles of things without telling Tang's father.
If it weren't for the house cleaning on New Year's Eve, Tang's father would still be kept in the dark.
"That's my business, it's none of your business."
"This is my business, you don't have to worry about it." Tang's father angrily took the things back to the house. Fearing that Tang's mother would rummage through them, he locked them in the cabinet in the room where the two children lived.
His action immediately aroused Tang's mother's curiosity.
While Tang's father went to the bathroom, Tang's mother really went to see it secretly.
"This damn old man, there are only two of us at home, and he locked up the things. Isn't this obviously to protect me?" Tang's mother cursed and rummaged through the drawers in the house looking for the key.
Outside the door, Tang's father showed a smug expression.
"Old woman, where are you?" Tang's father deliberately shouted into the house.
Tang's mother, who was still searching for her keys, was startled. She quickly put the messed-up things back in place, straightened her wrinkled clothes, and then walked out the door and said, "What are you doing? You keep yelling all day long, like you're calling a ghost."
Tang's father did not answer, but stared at Tang's mother, as if he wanted to see through her.
"You old man, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Tang's mother took a few steps back guiltily.
"Nothing, just asking what you're cooking tonight and whether you want to kill a chicken to replenish your energy."
Hearing this, Tang's mother was obviously relieved and walked towards the kitchen with an apron on.
"Kill her, kill her immediately. I've invited Weiwei to come to our house for New Year's Eve dinner tonight. It'll be lively and fun. She's all alone and looks so pitiful. Her only brother died trying to save our Xiao Ci. From now on, I'll treat her like my own daughter."
Tang's father stopped grabbing the chicken.
Kill it and feed it to Bai Weiwei? Why?
His son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren didn't get to eat it, so why should she eat it?
In the past, he would have just let it go, he wouldn't have cared so much. But now this family is in trouble, his wife is the mastermind, Bai Weiwei is an accomplice, no one can escape responsibility, and they want to eat the chickens he raised?
No! Absolutely not!
"It's Chinese New Year, what's the point of inviting outsiders to have a reunion dinner?"
It would be better to leave it alone if I called her over.
If only he had eaten at Xiao Ci's place before coming back, Tang's father would have felt so regretful.
"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear what I just said? She'll be our daughter from now on. Isn't it normal for me to invite her home for dinner?"
When Tang's mother wasn't paying attention, Tang's father muttered quietly, "You treat her like your goddaughter, and she treats you like her mother-in-law."
Bai Weiwei's intention to marry into the Tang family was almost written all over her face.
Tang's mother was so good that she not only angered her own son and daughter away, but also brought back the culprit who angered them away. Tang's father really couldn't understand Tang's mother's train of thought.
"Kill it if you want. I'm fine with anything. It doesn't matter if there's chicken or not." Tang's father just gave up and went back to the house to lie down humming a little tune.
He touched the dried meat in his pocket and chewed a piece from time to time. By the time Tang's mother called him to eat, Tang's father was already about three-quarters full.
"Here I come."
Wearing slippers, Tang's father walked out slowly.
Bai Weiwei had already taken her seat, and when she saw Tang's father, she obediently called him Uncle Tang.
Tang's father nodded in response to her.
Tang's mother was still fuming about Tang's father's refusal to kill the chicken that afternoon. "They called you, couldn't you just answer? What's wrong? You must have a golden mouth, so it's hard to open it."
Tang's father glanced at Tang's mother in dissatisfaction, "Are you going to eat or not? Don't start a fight on New Year's Day."
He thought he had been very good to Tang's mother over the years. She would go east when she pointed and would never catch a chick when she pointed at a bird. She was so obedient. But now it seemed that his old woman had become arrogant.
Because of this little episode, two distinct factions formed at the dinner table.
On one side is Tang's father's silent and focused group.
On one side is the warm and family-chatting group of Tang's mother and Bai Weiwei.
"Weiwei, eat more. These are the chickens that my aunt has raised for over a year. They are very nutritious. Look, they are all fat and full of oil."
Tang's mother picked up a big chicken leg for Bai Weiwei.
Tang's father quickly picked up the remaining chicken leg and put it in his bowl, not only the tip of the chicken wing but also the middle of the wing. Soon, the food in the bowl was piled up like a small mountain.
Mother Tang glared at Father Tang with a hint of irritation. "You were the one who said you didn't want to eat chicken this afternoon, but I cooked it and you enjoyed it more than anyone else. What a traitor."
"I'm also contributing to the diet, so what's wrong with me eating a few bites?" If he only had one stomach, he wouldn't want to keep any of the food on the table.
Bai Weiwei was very tactful and took the chicken leg back from her bowl.
"Auntie, you eat it. I'm trying to lose weight recently and don't like to eat meat. I just like to eat radishes and cabbages."
"Weiwei, you..."
Tang's father interrupted Tang's mother and said, "The child has said that he wants to lose weight. If you can't help, then don't keep holding him back. Come on, let me have this chicken leg too."
Because of a fabricated lie, Bai Weiwei only had tofu and cabbage for the New Year's Eve dinner.
"Weiwei, it's getting dark now, and your aunt and I can't see well, so I'll leave the cleaning and dishwashing to you."
Tang's father pressed the tip of his tongue against his cheek, trying to find which tooth was blocked by flesh.
There was an inadvertent clicking sound, and Bai Weiwei hurriedly rolled up her sleeves to clean up the dishes and wipe the table.
Tang's mother subconsciously wanted to make a few excuses, but Tang's father spoke again.
"Weiwei, you're doing a great job. Seeing how quick and efficient you are, you must be doing a lot of housework every day. In the past, these chores were done by your sister-in-law Meilan, but she's a little better than you and can finish them all in a flash.
But I have to say that being young is a good thing. Unlike us older people, it takes us ages to bend over and wash dishes. The well water is still ice-cold, and our hands are often frozen red.
Hearing that the water was icy cold, Tang's mother stopped in her tracks and turned a corner to go into the kitchen.
Bai Weiwei finally finished washing the dishes, but Tang's father assigned her a lot of work for various reasons.
Seeing Bai Weiwei busy and out of breath, Tang's father nodded in satisfaction and went back to the house to rest.
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